Applicator



May 16, 1967 R. A: DELLIGAi'TI APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1964 5 INVENTOR RAYMON D A-DELLlG-ATTI BY was fmuwc,

' ATTORNEYS May 16, 1967 R. A. DELLIGATTI APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1964 INVENTOR RAYMOND A .DELLlG-ATTI m,im@m% BY mas ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,319,283 APPLICATOR Raymond A. Delligatti, 815 Ogden Ave, Fairmont, W. Va. 26554 Filed Sept. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 398,958 15 Claims. (Cl. 15-538) This invention relates to applicators and more particularly to a device for applying fluid cementitious materials such as plaster and the like on working surfaces.

In conventional practice, plaster and like materials normally are applied to walls and ceilings of building structures manually with the use of a trowel. Generally, this method of application requires skilled craftsmen and is comparatively expensive. It has been desirable in the plastering trade to employ a device for applying plaster to a working surface which is adapted to receive a continuous supply of plaster from a source under pressure, and apply the plaster in consistently smooth layers of uniform thickness. Many attempts have been made in the prior art to develop such devices. However, most prior art devices have been found not to be entirely satisfactory in construction and performance. Usually, such devices are unsatisfactory, in that they are not readily adapted to control the flow of plaster as the device is guided manually over a working surface.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved device for applying fluid cementitious materials such as plaster on working surfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device for applying fluid cementitious materials such as plaster and the like on working surfaces, wherein the device is adapted to receive a continuous supply of the material.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved device for applying fluid cementitious materials on working surfaces, which can be easily guided along a working surface manually.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved device for applying fluid cementitious materials on working surfaces, wherein the device is supplied with a continuous flow of material and is provided with means for controlling the supply of material to the device.

. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device for applying fluid cemetitious materials on working surfaces in smooth layers of consistent selected thicknesses.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved device for applying fluid cementitious materials on working surfaces having means for adjusting the thickness of the layer of material applied to the working surfaces.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved applicator device which is simple in construction, easy to operate, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons skilled in the art, in the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 2.

Briefly described, the present invention provides a device for applying a fluid cementitious material such as plaster and the like on a working surface generally comprising a housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along the working surface, the housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material suply means which is communicable with the interior of the housing means, hingedly connected to the housing means and the material supply means having baffle means extending into the housing means for directing material from the material supply means toward the rearwardly disposed opening in the housing means. Preferably, the device includes an upper interior wall in the housing means which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly to provide a restricted rearwardly disposed opening, means for adjusting the height of the rearwardly disposed opening relative to the working surface and a curved bafile member which is engageable with the interior upper surface of the housing means when the material supply means is pivoted forwardly about its hinged connection to restrict the supply of material from the material supply means to the interior of the housing means.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention. Specifically, there is illustrated a pair of transversely spaced runners 10 and 11, having downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper edges on which there is rigidly mounted a rectangular shaped plate member 12. The runners and the plate member generally define a housing structure providing a longitudinal passageway through the device. As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the bottom edges of the runners 10 and 11 are adapted to engage and be guided along a working surface 13 on which the fluid cementitious material is to be applied. Preferably, the plate member 12 extends laterally relative to the runners 10 and 11.

The plate member 12 is provided with a transversely disposed slot or opening 14 through which cementitious material is supplied to the longitudinal passageway defined by the runners 10 and 11 and the plate member 12. The opening 14 preferably is located forwardly of the rear edge 15 of the plate member. The cementitious material is supplied to the interior of the housing structure by means of a fluid supply line 16. The line 16 includes a cylindrical section 17 adapted to be connected to a source of the material under pressure, a converging conical section 18, a reduced cylindrical section 19, and a lower laterally extending section 20. The lower section 20 is provided with a rear wall 21 which extends along the full length of the opening 14 and is hingedly connected along its lower edge 22 to the rearward edge 23 of the opening 14, by means of a hinge element 24, an upper wall 25 which extends laterally from the reduced cylindrical sec tion 19 of the supply line, downwardly and inwardly con- 7 verging upper front wall 26, a lower downwardly and rearwardly curved wall 27 which extends through the opening 14 and side walls 27a and 27b. The radius of curvature of the lower front wall 27 is such that upon pivoting the supply line 16 in a vertical plane relative to the working surface 13, about the hinged connection, the outer surface of the wall will constantly be adjacent the front edge of the opening 14.

When the supply line 16 is tilted forwardly, pivoting the line in a counterclockwise direction relative to FIGURE 2, the lower edge 28 of the lower curved wall 27 is adapted to engage a seat member 29' mounted on the bottom surface of the plate member 12 to restrict the supply of material from the supply line 16 to the interior of the housing structure, Mounted on the top surface of the plate member 12 is a resilient wiper member 30, extending along the entire length of the opening 14, which is engageable with the forward surface of the curved wall 27. The wiper member functions to wipe the curved wall 27 when the supply line is pivoted about its hinged connection with the plate member 12.

It will be appreciated that the curved wall 27 of the lower section of the supply line functions as a baffle to direct material from the supply line, rearwardly along the longitudinal passageway in the housing structure to a rearwardly disposed opening 31 in the housing structure defined by the rearward edge 15 of the plate member and the rearward vertical edges of the runners l and 11. Normally, the height of this opening will determine the height of the layer of material applied to the working surface. However, a rearwardly extending leaf section 32 may be provided to adjust the height of the rearwardly disposed opening in the housing structure, and, correspondingingly, the thickness of the layer of material applied to the working surface. The leaf section 32 is hingedly connected along the rearward edge of the plate member 12 and may be angularly adjusted relative to the plate member 12 by means of an adjusting assembly 33. The assembly 33 consists of an upstanding bracket 34, rigidly secured to the rearward end of the plate member 13, a threaded bolt member 35 threaded through a suitable threaded opening in the bracket 34, an upstanding bracket 36 rigidly secured to the leaf section 32, and an actuating link 37 which is mounted freely on the rearward end of the threaded bolt 35 and is pivotally connected to the upper end of the bracket member 36. It will be appreciated that by turning the threaded bolt 35, the actuating link 37 will cause the leaf section 32 to pivot in a vertical plane about its hinged connection with the plate member 12. The leaf section 32 extends laterally relative to the runners 10 and 11 to smooth over the lines produced by the runners.

In the use of the above described embodiment of the invention, the height of the leaf section 32 is first adjusted to the desired height by means of the adjusting assembly 33, in the manner as previously described. The housing structure is then placed in position against the working surface so that the runners 10 and 11 engage the working surface. Assuming the supply line 16 is connected to a source of fluid under pressure, and is tilted forwardly so that the bottom edge 28 engages the seating member 29, the entire device is manually guided over the working surface and the supply line is tilted backwards to permit the fluid material to flow from the supply line into the interior of the housing structure. It will be seen that the configuration of the curved lower wall 27 will direct the flow of material rearwardly through the longitudinal passageway in the housing structure toward the rearwardly disposed opening 31. The material simultaneously will be forced into firm engagement with the working surface as a result of the diminishing crosssectional area in the interior of the housing structure provided by the downwardly and rearwardly inclined plate member 12.

The amount of material supplied from the supply line 16 to the interior of the housing structure can be regulated simply by tilting the supply line. In the event the operator desires to guide the device more quickly over the working surface, he may tilt the supply line rearwardly, permitting a greater amount of material to be supplied to the interior of the housing structure. When it is desired to cut off the flow of material, the operator simply tilts the supply line forwardly so that the lower edge 28 of the curved wall 27 engages the seat member 29.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention, be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material or the like on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means and said material supply means having baffle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

2. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material or the like on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having baffle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

3. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material or the like on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means and said material supply means having baflie means depending from the forward portion thereby and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

4. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening, means operatively connected to said housing means for adjusting the height of said rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means and said material supply means having baflle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

5. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing having a rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means and said material supply means having a downwardly and rearwardly curved baflle means epending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing.

6. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having baflle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extend ing into said housing means for directing material from a said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

7. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, means operatively connected to said housing means for adjusting the height of said rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having baflie means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into the interior of said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said opening in said housing means.

8. A device for applyinga fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, means operatively connected to said housing means for adjusting the height of said rearwardly disposed opening, fluid material supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means hingedly connected to said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having a downwardly and rearwardly curved baffle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said rearwardly disposed opening.

9. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material or the like on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and a transversely disposed opening in the upper side thereof, fluid material supply means extending through said transversely disposed opening communicable with the interior of said housing means and hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having baflle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending through said transversely disposed opening into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said rearwardly disposed opening in said housing means.

10. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, said housing means having a transversely disposed opening in the upper side thereof, fluid supply means communicable with the interior of said housing means through said transversely disposed opening, hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having baffle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending through said transversely disposed opening into the interior of said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said rearwardly disposed opening in said housing means.

11. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, means operatively connected to said housing means for adjusting the height of said rearwardly disposed opening, said housing means having a transversely disposed opening in the upper side thereof communicating with the interior thereof, fluid material supply means communicable through said transversely disposed opening with the interior of said housing means, hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having 'baflie means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending through said transversely disposed opening into the interior of said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said rearwardly disposed opening in said housing means.

12. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising housing means engageable with and adapted to be guided along said working surface, said housing means having a rearwardly disposed opening and an interior upper wall inclined rearwardly and downwardly toward said rearwardly disposed opening, means operatively connected to said housing means for adjusting the height of said rearwardly disposed opening, said housing means having a transversely disposed opening in the upper side thereof communicating with the interior of said housing means, fluid material supply means communicable through said transversely disposed opening with the interior of said housing means, hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said housing means for pivotal movement in a plane lying substantial-1y perpendicular to said working surface and said material supply means having a downwardly and rearwardly curved baffle means depending from the forward portion thereof and extending into said housing means for directing material from said material supply means rearwardly directly toward said rearwardly disposed opening.

13. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material or the like on a working surface comprising a pair of transversely spaced runners, a plate member disposed on said runners, said plate member being inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to said working surface to provide a longitudinal passageway through said device, said plate member having a transversely disposed opening, a fluid material supply line communicable through said transversely disposed opening with said longitudinal passageway in said device, said supply line having a transversely flaring section hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said plate member for pivotal movement of said supply line in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said flaring section of said supply line having a baflle member depending from the forward portion thereof and extending through said transversely disposed opening in said plate member for directing material from said supply line directly rearwardly through said longitudinal passageway.

14. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising a pair of transversely spaced runners, a plate member disposed on said runners, said plate member being inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to said working surface to provide a longitudinal passageway through said device, a rearwardly extending leaf section hingedly connected to a rearward edge of said plate member, means operatively interconnecting said plate member and said leaf section for adjusting the height of said leaf section relative to said working surface, said plate member having a transversely disposed opening, a fluid material supply line communicable through said transversely disposed opening with the longitudinal passageway in said device, said supply line having a transversely flaring section hingedly connected to the rearward edge of the transversely disposed opening of said plate member for pivotal movement of said supply line in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and said flaring section of said supply line having a bafile member depending from the forward portion thereof and extending through said transversely disposed opening in said plate member for directing material from said supply line directly rearwardly through said longitudinal passageway.

15. A device for applying a fluid cementitious material on a working surface comprising a pair of transversely spaced runners engagea-ble with and adapted to be guided over said working surface, a plate member disposed on said runners, said plate member being inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to said working surface to provide a longitudinal passageway through said device, a rearwardly extending leaf section hingedly connected to a rear edge of said plate member, rneans operatively interconnecting said plate member and said leaf section for adjusting the height of said leaf section relative to said working surface, said plate member having a transversely extending opening, a fluid material supply line communicable through said transversely disposed opening with said longitudinal passageway in said device, said supply line having a transversely flaring section hingedly connected along a bottom rearward edge to the rearward edge of said transversely disposed opening to permit pivotal movement of said supply line including said transversely flaring section in a plane lying substantially perpendicular to said working surface and a front wall of said flaring section of said supply line having a curved extension section extending through said opening into said longitudinal passageway, said curved extension section having a lower edge engageable with the lower edge of said plate member when said supply line is moved forwardly thereby restricting the supply of said fluid material to said longitudinal passageway.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,158,460 11/1915 Doll 15-.- -596 2,198,271 4/1940 McCallum 15-596 2,882,716 4/1959 Anderson 15596 3,140,504 7/1964 Knops 15560 FOREIGN PATENTS 249,346 4/ 1948 Switzerland.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

S. E. BECK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR APPLYING A FLUID CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL OR THE LIKE ON A WORKING SURFACE COMPRISING HOUSING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH AND ADAPTED TO BE GUIDED ALONG SAID WORKING SURFACE, SAID HOUSING MEANS HAVING A REARWARDLY DISPOSED OPENING, FLUID MATERIAL SUPPLY MEANS COMMUNICABLE WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING MEANS AND SAID MATERIAL SUPPLY MEANS HAVING BAFFLE MEANS DEPENDING FROM THE FORWARD PORTION THEREOF AND EXTENDING INTO SAID HOUSING MEANS FOR DIRECTING MATERIAL FROM SAID MATERIAL SUPPLY MEANS REARWARDLY DIRECTLY TOWARD SAID OPENING IN SAID HOUSING MEANS. 